Franco’s summer residence passed into the hands of …

the Pazo de Meirás, summer residence of Francisco Franco, passed into the hands of the Spanish state after years of litigation with the heirs of the dictator. The late 19th century palace, located in La Coruña, had been declared public property this year after a court decision. Now the keys have been provisionally handed over to the State Until there is a final judgment, since it has been appealed. In this way the Franco family had to leave the premises after more than 80 years of usufruct. The State Attorney General, Consuelo Castro Rey, who received the key, held that property should never have ceased to be state property. The residence has 697 historical and artistic properties that will stay in place. The judicial measure is part of the process of historical revisionism against Franco’s dictatorship led by the government of Pedro Sanchez.

Historical repair

This historic building was the place where Franco – died in 1975 – He spent the summer with his family and celebrated the Summer Councils of Ministers. The dictator, Galician by birth, made him one of the symbols of the regime and after his death, his widow received from the hands of king Juan Carlos, the title of Lady of Meirás. However, last September a court in La Coruña ruled that the property It was a gift that was given at the time to the Head of State and not to Francisco Franco in a personal capacity.. He also came to the conclusion that the 1941 sale, with which the dictator managed to register the farm in his name in the property register, it was a simulation, so it sucked. The property passes temporarily to the State until the judgment is final. Now the central government and the regional executive of Galicia must negotiate the future use of the building.

The judge Marta Canales delivered the building, declared public property. The state attorney general said it was a historic remedy. “The content of the Pazo de Meirás will continue as it now awaits a final judgment. There are clearly personal items that will be delivered within the next 20 days, ”said Castro Rey. Spanish justice had made an inventory of the 697 historical structures that must remain in place. Before handing over the keys, the legal authorities made a visual inspection to make sure they were still there. “The Franco family will only be able to collect items for strictly personal use or which, due to their characteristics, do not contribute in any way to the importance of the Pazo as a property of cultural interest.“, maintains the judicial resolution. The property had belonged to the famous Galician writer Emilia Pardo Bazán (1851-1921), fervent activist for women’s rights.

Encounter with the truth

Pazo de Meirás will reopen to the public in five or six weeks, as announced by Spain’s first vice-president Carmen Calvo. The Minister of Democratic Memory, also part of the Spanish Socialist Workers Party (PSOE), said that the legal battle waged by her government for this property dignify democracy. He also reminded the thousands of men and women who for decades claimed the place was public heritage. According to the vice-president, visitors to the site will find themselves “with the history and truth of what happened: with Franco’s presence there, but with a own look at democratic memory and the democratic narrative“.

In accordance with the historical restitution requested by the Spanish government, made up of the PSOE and United We Can, in October of this year, there was ordered the exhumation of Franco’s remains. The dictator’s body was transferred from the Valley of the Dead to a private cemetery for his family. Sánchez had called this event a great victory for Spanish democracy. “The desire to repair the suffering of the victims of the Franco regime has always guided the government’s action“, Wrote the president on his social networks. In addition, the president had indicated that Spanish democracy was gaining prestige in the eyes of the world.

In addition, the socialist government presented a bill on democratic memory last September. which condemns the dictatorship of Franco and intends to settle a historic debt in Spain. The text prohibits any type of exaltation of the figure of Franco. Also normatively incorporates the concept of “victim of civil war” and “Franco’s dictatorship”, according to international parameters relating to human rights. At a time condemns the coup of 1936, as well as the dictatorship that was established later. The project has a very important pillar in terms of education. The curriculum for primary and secondary schools will focus on “democratic memory”. Also teacher training. The legal text has not yet been processed by the Spanish Congress and he should arrive on the scene in the first half of 2021.